Sons of Anarchy - New Motorcycle TV Show on FX

Check out The Sons of Anarchy on the FX TV channel this Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at 10 pm ET. This is an original series centered around both a family that rides motorcycles and the motorcycle club family of which they are a part.

I had heard of the new HBO series, 1%, but it's going to come out much later than this one on FX. There was controversy about 1% because Sonny Barger, founder of the Hells Angels, had brought a lawsuit against HBO. The folks involved with Sons of Anarchy do not seem worried about any legal action by anyone.

Here are a couple of links to stories about this drama that some are referring to as "Easy Rider Meets the Sopranos."

http://blog.meevee.com/my_weblog/2008/08/sons-of-anarchy.html

http://vtwinshow.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/biker-wars/

The show also has its own fancy website:

http://fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/soa/#Nav/Homepage

I'm sure there will be mixed reviews on this new show. It will be portraying the lives of motorcycle riders who come from a small segment of motorcyclists. It will be dramatic and might result in non-motorcyclists tending to paint you with the same brush that the creators of Sons of Anarchy used to define its players.

This new series may not be as great as The Sopranos -- which took early barbs for misrepresenting the Italian population -- but give it a chance. It could be like most of the big screen motorcycle club movies of the past with emphasis on violence and mayhem. Then again, with the extra time accorded by episodic TV, it may allow character development so we can begin to know the people involved in the story.

I know I'll be watching. Expect a review after I've seen the pilot and one episode.

Motorcycle Club or Group Pictures

Motorcycle Clubs have been around as long as motorcycles. If you belong to a motorcycle club or other motorcycle group and have a picture of your club members as a group, consider sending the picture in to be displayed in my Motorcycle Club or Group Pictures Gallery. Here are the rules.

Do you belong to a motorcycle club or other motorcycle group?

Does your motorcycle club or group have its own Web site?

Do you want the world to see a picture of the members of your club or group? (no member names will be given).

Do you have a group picture of the motorcycle club or group that you can send me?

Do you have the permission of your club's or group's officers to send the picture?

If you can answer YES to the above questions, send in a picture of your club or group along with some information about the group. Also include your club or group's Web site URL so we can link to it. Of course, we encourage you to link to us from your site as well. We will place your picture in the Motorcycle Club or Group Pictures Gallery. Submit a picture and description today.

Submit a Picture of Your Motorcycle Club or Group

See Gallery > Motorcycle Club or Group Pictures

More Features on Motorcycle Views

More features have been added to the Motorcycle Views Web site.

• Motorcycle Makes and Models - Click on a motorcycle make and get a page containing links to all motorcycle articles and features on the site for that make. Also included is a page containing all 2007 models each with a link to the make's official Web site giving all details for that model.
• Clubs and Associations - Gives links to motorcycle clubs, riding clubs, law enforcement clubs, rights organizations, and motorcycle associations.
• Classified Ads - Are you looking to buy or sell a motorcycle? Check out these online motorcycle classified ad sites.

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New Blue Knights President from my Hometown

Got a Google Alert today from the Daily Pantagraph newspaper in Bloomington, IL about a local retired policeman, Mike Ripsch, who was just elected president of the Blue Knights International Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, Inc. I don't know Mike but Bloomington/Normal, IL is my hometown and I used to work for the Pantagraph when I was in college.

From the Blue Knights Web site:

"The BLUE KNIGHTS® is a non-profit fraternal organization consisting of active and retired law enforcement men & women who enjoy riding motorcycles."

Turns out Mike is the first president from Illinois.

Here's a link to the story.

I hadn't even thought about taking up motorcycling when I left Normal to head east to complete my education and settle in New Jersey. I go back there usually once a year for one thing or another. I've even ridden back the 900 miles on my motorcycle.

Well, I'm happy to see that a local has this new job. The Blue Knights is a respected organization everywhere that motorcyclists go.

Good luck Mike.